Filing device for letters and the like.



E. R. PROBERT..

FILING DEVICE FOR LETTERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 11, 1912 1,068,81 9. Patented July 29, 1913 Toall'whom it inay concern-.-

PATENT @FFICE;

EDWIN R. ritonEa'r, or' covmc'ron, KENTUCKY.

FILING DEVI CE FOR LETTERS AND THE Be it known that I, EDWIN R.PRoBnR'r, a

' citizen of the United States of America,and

' Like, of which the a resident of Covington, in the county of Kentonand Stateof Kentucky, have in-.

vented a certain new'ancl useful'lmprovement in Filing Devices forLetters and the following is a specificatiOIl; I

,This invention relates to correspondence files and especiallyto thosefor use in containin'g cards an d letters in convenient -posi-' tion forready insertion and reference, as

'well as desired withdrawal.

The object of'the in vention-is to provide a filing d6Vi06 -Witl'l'transverse-slidable partitions'that adapt 'theicartls or letters to besupportedor held in vertical position free from tilting, sagging orfalling fiat to the bottom of the receptacle and, also, to'pro-- videinner longitudinal channel-irons or guides along the opposite sides ofthe floor gages said inner longitudinal i plan-:VieiVbf thedeviee,omitting theparti or bottom of the 'receptacle to properlysupportea'ch of the transverse partitions at any desired point betweenthe opposite ends of the receptacle and without any limiting meansbetween said opposite ends of the recepta'cle and, also,-withoutnecessity of othersaid transversepartitions and their support--' ingchannel-irons or guides, such as will be hereinafter fully described andarticularly pointed out in the'claims that ollow.

In the-accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure'l' is a 'pe spec'tive viewofthe 'im "'provedf'filing deviceshowing the near side broken out'bet'weenits ends "to Show the lower interior structure of thepartitions and guides; Fig. 2, a longitudinalsect-ionshowingthebroken-olf rear end of the filing de- 5 'vice; Fig. 3,a' perspect-ive view'of one form of the transverse partitions witha'doublethickness body portion and oppositely-extended or 'doublesupporting feet; Fig. 4, a

'detailperspect'ive view showing one of the preferred-"forms ofchannel-iro'ns'or sideg'uide's used in my device herein; Fig.5, a

tions-bi r't showing the inner ch'annel-irons'or Rpeciiication ofLetters Yatent.

Patented July 29, 1913.

Application filed November 11, 1912. Serial 110,730,796.

side-guides in the bottom of the receptacle; Fig. 6, a plan view of asheet-metal blank showing the manner in which it is cut preparatoryto'formingit into one of the doublefooted partitions, the dotted-linetransversely across the center of the sheet showing where the sheet isbent to form the double body portion of the partition and theother-dottedlines showing where the metal is'bent in forming the doubleor oppositely-extended feetof the partition; Fig. 7, a perspectiveview-of one of the transverse partitions showing its body portion as ofa single thicknes s-of metal and with but a single spaced pair-of feetextended from the lower end'of the body portion and especially adaptedfor narrow or light card index-files; and Fig. 8,

a perspective view of another form of transverse partition, madenarrower than that seen in Fig. 3 and without. the overhanging oppositeends to its body portion.

In'Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7 I have shown the receptacle and partitions in theform used for card correspondence, wherein a central' longitudinalslot'is provided in the bottom of the box'or receptacle andcorrespondii'ig notches or open slots are made centrally in the feet ofthe partitions to accoim'nodate the lower central extensions ordinarilyused in card files.

' 1 indicates the front walhfi the rear wall,

3 each of'the two side walls and 4- the bottom of the 'box or receptaclefor holding the card or the letter correspondence. or bills.

5 indicates a longitudinal 'slotalong the center of the bottom 4 andadapted-for engag'ement-by the central, lower extension on the cardswhen the device is used as a cardfile. g

Ordinarily the bottom of the box is solid or intact for lettercorrespondence.

6 indicates each one of a series of trans verse partitions adapted foruse in the box or receptacle in separating and supporting the cards,letters, bills or other similar correspondence in vertical position.

7, 7 indicate oppositely extended feet along the lower edge or bottom ofeach partition 6,and 8 indicates an ordinary central, open slot or notchmade in said feet for use, more particularly, when cards are used inthefile that haveordinary central lower extensions. .1 donot confinemyself, however, to using said notches or open slots 8 in the feet 7 ofthe partitions, especially for letters and bills that are larger thancards and then the bottom of the box or receptaele is made .intact,without the central longitudinal slot 5 seen in Fig. 5.

The sheet-metal blank seen in Fig. 6shows the manner in which the metalis cut and prepared for forming the double-footed partition seen in Fig.3, the said metal being 19 bent along the central dotted-line 9 to forma double-thickness body portion of the partition and, also, bent alongthe dottedlines 10 to form the feet 7. Open slots 11 are made inwardlyfrom the longitudinal side edges of the metal blank seen in Fig. 6,

whereby horizontal openings 12 are provided at the opposite lower endsor corners of the partition 6 for the purpose herein after described.

13 indicates each one of two channel-irons longitudinal edges of thebottom of the box or receptacle to form horizontal guide-ways for theengagement of that portion 'of the 5 feet 7 that extends beyond theinnershoulders 14 of the openingsl2'of said a'i'titions 6. Thesechannel-irons are prefera ly made of sheet metal whose bases are broaderthan their upper overhanging pmtions, as best seen in Fig. 4, wherebytack or the like can be conveniently driven into t e holes 15 forsecuring said channel-irons in place in the bottom of the box. The s aidoverhanging portions of the channel-irons are preferably 5 provided withtransverse slits 16, with the metal bent slig tly downward along oneedge and with e other edge 17 bent slightly upward to provide conveniententrances for the feet 7 of the partitions when it is desired to insertsuch partitions in place for use or, on the other hand, to convenientlyremove them when desired. In the plan view, Fig. 5, it' will be seen howtheupwardly-turned edges or lips- 17 of the slits 16 a e disposed in thebox or receptacle, wheby the partitions can be conveniently engtigcdwith the channel-irons 0r guides from either end of the box or at one ora number of points betweenv said ends, the

:30 same forming an important feature of the invention herein especiallywhen there is no specific device between the opposite ends of the boxfor limiting the'movement of the partitions tn either d.irection.

It is obvious that the partitions'ti can be made of a single thicknessand with feet extended in one direction only, as seen in Fig. 7, thesinglethickness being adapted to {supporting correspondence oflightweight,

while the double thickness is adapted to supporteorrespondence of largerfsizeand, weight. In this single-thickness body portion 6, shown in Fig.7, the upper-edgeof the metal is hent'over upon itself, as shown seamsto stiffen said upper edgeand, at the effective and there is no part ofthe body 1 portion of the partitions liable to contact with the upperface of either of the overhanging portions of the channel-irmis,especially when said overhanging portions contain the flare-edgedentrance slits 16.

It will be observed, in Fig. 2, how the feet 7 of the partitions mayoverlap each other" by widening the space between the bottom andoverhanging portion of each of the side channel-irons or guides andadapting the 002; or receptacle to the use of a. greater that areplaced-along and'upon the opposite number of partitions for supportingcorrespondence at lesser intervals.

The partitions can be readily removed from place between the oppositeends of the box or receptacle or a greater numberof them may be usedtherein, as desired, and all to suit the character of the letters orother matter to be filed, and the manner in which they are to be filed.No other support is necessary for'the partitions than the engagement ofthe opposite ends of their feet under the overhanging portions of thechannel-irons or guides and there is fin nced of any definite limitingor stop device in the box or receptacle for said partitions that areadapted to be conveniently drawn or slid lengthwise of the box to suitthe amount or thicku'essof letters or other correspondence placedbetween them. 1

In the use of the partitions herein it will be clearly seen that nofollower will be neccssary, each of such partitions practicallyconstituting a follower of itself, its oppositely-extended feet engagingto sutlicient frictional extent with the channel-irons) preventaccidental slipping in either direcnal edges of said bottom, a seriesoftransverse partitions having open slotsprovided at the oppositeends oftheir lower edges, and lower horizontal flanges or supportingfeet whoseo po'sit'e ends, beneathisaidopen slots, sliding y-engage saidehannelair'mjisi v 2. A filing device comprising abet? ogre x'eptaclehaving a suitable. bottom. channelirons secured along and upon theopposite longitudinal ei'lges of the bottom of the box or receptacle andha \'ing their overhanging gage said overhanging slitted portions ofsaid channel-ir0ns.

3. A filing devlce comprlslnga box or receptacle having a sintahlebottom, chan- Mel-irons forlti ng norizont-alguide-\\'a \-'s along andupon the opposite longitndlnal edges of said bottom and llttllSYt'lHt'partllions each of which has an upright hotlyportion and lower flangesor feel arranged at rightamgles to said body portion and having opensluts prm'idtd at the opposite ends of sneh hod portion \illtltlfl' thesaid feet are adapted "for sliding engagement, with said channel-ironsor :Il litlt-\\:l

l'ioniz'r'm Lrcn.

